Topic: What things do you recycle for the allotment?

[sally_cinnamon]

Just finished reading Gardeners World and there was an article on things that people re-use down the 'lottie, like the net bags from washing powder tablets for holding up melons (oo-er!)...

I always keep plastic tubs and containers for sowing seeds, but would like to know MORE stuff to recycle!

Just wondered what other things people re-use?

 :)

[Mrs Ava]

I save the large milk poly bottles and fill them with water to take to the plot as we have no tapped water.

I save any little plastic bottles to go over canes to save my eyes.

Anything compostable of course goes into the compost heap.

I have a store of carrier bags in the shed for bringing home veggies in.

Pallets made my compost heaps.

Brown cardboard now goes down as a weed supresser under trees and fruit bushes.

Odds and sods of wood for edgings.

Not a lot really, but we don't seem to have that much stuff that we throw out.  We only have a couple of black bags of rubbish a week as we recycle everything that we can via the council collection or the recycle centres/charity shops.

[Rosyred]

Plastic trays if I buy meat from a supermarket to sow my seeds or yogurt cartons.

[sally_cinnamon]

I save any little plastic bottles to go over canes to save my eyes.

Haha! - that reminds of me of when I first joined this forum last year and read about somebody giving away a load of old black camera film cases to go over canes and I couldn't for the life think of me why you would do that until a few weeks later when I nearly poked out my brain through my nose with the end of a cane! ;D



Now my gears are churning...

-loo rolls for sowing beans etc...

[manicscousers]

6 pint milk cartons and 2 ltr pop bottles for cloches, bottom cut off for beer traps,
 dog hair to protect from slugs,
orange nets for melons and to store onions if they've got no stem..
again, small bottles as cane tops.any newspaper for the compost heap,
cardboard hoarded all year to cover beds in winter, tyres for growing squash in..
can't think of anything apart from everything we put in the compost heap
still thinking.... ;D

[kt.]

Other than what has already been said:

Large cardboard boxes for covering areas I aint sowing just yet (saves weeding & they can be composted later).

1 litre clear plastic bottles dug half into the ground upside down. Pour the water in here and it gets directly to the roots of your crop.

3 litre clear plastic bottles. Saw the bottom off and they are excellent cloches.

Large clear plastic bags - usually from mattresses etc. If sliced down one side they can be adapted as small polytunnels or A-frame style of coldframe.

All veg waste & teabags for composting.

My hen nest boxes are made from fibreglass type material. They were getting thrown out at work because they had no lids. I turned them on their side. They are brill - never rot & easy to wipe clean.

[bunjies]

do you know anyone who goes shooting?
empty shot cartridges make the most fab cane toppers ;)
and a good grip for the end of a clipper lighter!

[Kea]

My fence blew over in the wind I kept the old ones even though battered if I cut them in half I have fencing for half my allotment back fence and it will provided shelter from the north. I use most of the things listed above, when I got my allotment i wondered why people had plastic bottles on canes but I soon caught on...they also produce noise in the wind which may scare off birds. I also used cd's as bird scarer's. My son grew carrots in a raised 'bed' made of 3 tyres, now they're going to be for blueberries.
I've got a shower door which will eventually be the lid of my cold frame when I make it.

[Blue Bird]

Used so far - shedded paper for mulch
                      old brush handles found in catering kitchen for poles for raspberries
                      old cane blinds as covering for path
                      oil cloth table cloth to cover manure bin
                      old plastic storage boxes to make wormery
                      pallets for edging around grass boarders
                      cardboard for insulation for compost bins
                      bubble wrap from post room at work use as above

[manicscousers]

just remembered, our fence panels blew out and were too mangled to put back, ray cut two in half and made a 'modesty screen around the men's 'toilet'..
also old car mats as flooring in the shed, keeps the floor clean and we can shake the mud off..
bottles from dishwashing powder we used to buy are now full of calcified seaweed, sulphate of ammonia, lime and seaweed meal.. :)

[Deb P]

Many of the above plus;

Old cot sides as racks for drying onions and garlic;
 
A fence panel that broke, I used the strips of wood as narrow paths between fruit beds;

Polystyrene white goods packaging- big bits as containers for carrots, small bits instead of crocks in pots and large tubs.

Also use freecycle to get lots of bits and bobs, some seed trays, a hose, a lawn spiker!

[bennettsleg]

old futon frame - make netting frame for brassica protection (or will do, one day)
palletts - compost bins and as above
big polystyrene refridgerated delivery boxes - cold frame
a huge clear plastic tray that mum gave me - lid for cold frame.
cardboard boxes - mulch, composting
jars with lids - containers for string, labels etc; nail the lid to the underside of the shelf and double up on storage space

[Lady of the Land]

Left over bitsof pond liner to cover roof of sheds before putting corrigated sheeting on.

Old tennis balls to cover wooden stakes before putting netting over strawberries

Old net curtains to cover fruit bushes

plus lots of the things already mentioned

[cornykev]

Much of the same.
Fire guard for growing up
Tin foil for blowy scarey away birdy things
Plastic bottles  cloches, eye protecter, scarey birdy
Bubblewrap for dalek body warmers
Tesco bags for produce and rubbish
Wood for all sorts
Shredded paper
Old veg rack
Pringle and gravy containers for bean seeds
Kitchen and toilet roll holders
Etc
Beer crates
Fruit and veg crates

[marestail murderer]

most of the above..............but i dont know about the rest of you.......since i got the allotment..........im finding myself strangly drawn to builders skips..........cant pass any now without looking in and thinking"hmmmmm.......i could use that up the plot"......does that count?

[cornykev]

Youv'e caught the bug MM, bet you cant shake itoff.

[Marymary]

Another use for plastic milk cartons.  I cut them up to make plant labels which are very expensive to buy in the quantities I need - can never remember whats what otherwise. 

[Blue Bird]

MM I do the very same and also keep seeing things like wood , wire , ect.. on the TV in the background of programs thinking the same -- Sad or What  ??? ??? :(

[manicscousers]

not sad, sensible  ;D

[cornykev]

Also Wee. :-[